Richard C. Murphy has a Ph.D. in Marine Ecology from the University of Southern California. He began working with Jean-Michel Cousteau and his father, Jacques Cousteau, in 1968. Since that time he has been involved in a wide variety of projects and expeditions in many remote areas around the globe, including Papua New Guinea, Fiji Islands, the Caribbean, Indonesia, the Mekong River in SE Asia, the Amazon, Sea of Cortez, Australia and New Zealand. Richard's role in these expeditions has included serving as chief scientist, photographer, writer, educator, or project director. His latest work is a book on coral reefs entitled Coral Reefs - Cities Under the Sea. The focus of this book is on how a coral reef functions - the jobs of individual residents and how they collectively create a sustainable community.

He is presently involved in the creation and implementation of the Sustainable Reefs program, designed to help people in island nations better understand and manage their coral reef resources. This project involves a video and cartoon book presented in the national language along with a variety of supplementary resources.

Since 1973 Richard has been involved with Jean-Michel Cousteau in the creation and implementation of field study programs for students of all ages. The Ambassadors of the Environment program is the latest version of this educational endeavor. The objective in these programs has been to share the wonder and importance of the ocean realm to the public. Drawing on over 30 years of exploring and studying a wide variety of ecosystems and cultures, Richard states, "I believe a better understanding of how nature works can not only promote an appreciation for the value of our natural heritage but also help guide the next generation in living more sustainably on the planet."